The genomes of eukaryotic organisms are highly organized within the nucleus of the cell. The long strands of duplex DNA are wrapped around an octamer of histone proteins (usually comprising two copies of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) to form a nucleosome, which then is further compressed to form a highly condensed chromatin structure. A range of different condensation states are possible, and the tightness of this structure varies during the cell cycle. The chromatin structure plays a critical role in regulating gene transcription, which cannot occur efficiently from highly condensed chromatin. The chromatin structure is controlled by a series of post translational modifications to histone proteins, notably histones H3 and H4. These modifications include acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitinylation, and SUMOylation.
Histone acetylation usually is associated with the activation of gene transcription, as the modification loosens the interaction of the DNA and the histone octomer by changing the electrostatics. In addition to this physical change, specific proteins bind to acetylated lysine residues within histones to read the epigenetic code. Bromodomains are small (about 110 amino acid) distinct domains within proteins that bind to acetylated lysine resides commonly, but not exclusively, in the context of histones. There is a family of about 50 proteins known to contain bromodomains, which have a range of functions within the cell.
The BET family of bromodomain-containing proteins includes four proteins, i.e., BRD2, BRD3, BRD4, and BRD-t, which contain tandem bromodomains capable of binding to two acetylated lysine residues in close proximity, thereby increasing the specificity of the interaction. BRD2 and BRD3 associate with histones along actively transcribed genes and may be involved in facilitating transcriptional elongation, while BRD4 may be involved in the recruitment of the pTEF-β complex to inducible genes, resulting in phosphorylation of RNA polymerase and increased transcriptional output. BRD4 or BRD3 also may fuse with NUT (nuclear protein in testis) forming novel fusion oncogenes, BRD4-NUT or BRD3-NUT, in a highly malignant form of epithelial neoplasia. Data suggests that BRD-NUT fusion proteins contribute to carcinogenesis. BRD-t is uniquely expressed in the testes and ovary. All family members have been reported to have some function in controlling or executing aspects of the cell cycle, and have been shown to remain in complex with chromosomes during cell division, which suggests a role in the maintenance of epigenetic memory. In addition, some viruses make use of these proteins to tether their genomes to the host cell chromatin as part of the process of viral replication.
A discussion of BET proteins can be found in WO 2012/075456, WO 2012/075383, and WO 2011/054864, each designating the U.S. and each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. A discussion of BET bromodomain inhibitors, e.g., I-BET-151 and I-BET-762, can be found in Delmore et al., Cell 146:904-917 (2011) and Seal et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 22:2968-2972 (2012).
Despite research directed to BET bromodomains and BET bromodomain inhibitors, the design of potent, non-peptide inhibitors of BET bromodomains remains a significant challenge in modern drug discovery. Accordingly, a need still exists in the art for BET bromodomain inhibitors having physical and pharmacological properties that permit use of the inhibitors in therapeutic applications. The present invention provides compounds designed to bind to BET bromodomains and inhibit BET bromodomain activity.